The present invention relates generally to voice call completion using computer controlled telephony hardware which is outside the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and, in particular, to a method of resource management at computer controlled telephony hardware to reduce service costs and minimize PSTN link requirements.
The importance of effective tools for business communication has long been recognized. Business communication tools for integrating business services and facilitating the dissemination of information through the Internet are described in applicant""s co-pending related patent applications. These tools utilize computer controlled telephony hardware outside the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to facilitate establishment of calls between service subscribers and other parties. Calls may be completed by establishing a PSTN voice connection between the service subscriber and the computer controlled telephony hardware, and a PSTN voice connection between another party and the computer controlled telephony hardware. The two calls are then bridged together at the computer controlled telephony hardware. This use of computer controlled telephony hardware outside the PSTN enables a plurality of innovative services which improve and enhance business communications and promotion. The ready acceptance of these innovative services has demonstrated, however, that widespread deployment of these services can be expected.
While computer controlled telephony hardware used in this way provides ultimate control and flexibility in call handling, two trunk circuits are utilized for each call completed through the PSTN. Consequently, if both circuits are involved in long distance communications, two toll charges are incurred for the call. Likewise, the two circuits per -call place a burden on trunk facilities interconnecting the computer controlled telephony hardware and the PSTN. It is therefore desirable to provide a method of resource management at the computer controlled telephony hardware to provide a mechanism for controlling toll charges and for freeing resources on the facilities required to provide such services.
One way of reducing toll charges and freeing resources on service facilities is to transfer completed calls from the computer controlled telephony hardware to the PSTN. A method for effecting call transfers to the PSTN is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,471 which issued Apr. 1, 1997 to Rogers et al. and is entitled TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM FOR TRANSFERRING A TELEPHONE CALL. Rogers et al describe a telecommunications system which provides a call transfer function while user-A is involved in two independent calls: one with user-B and one with user-C. The call transfer by user-A is initiated by sending a message to the long distance carrier switching office. In the switching office, both independent calls are identified as part of the transfer request. The switching office then requests the call transfer function by sending a message to a network control system for the validation of the transfer. After the network control system determines allowability of the transfer, the call between user-B and user-C is connected, while user-A and user-A""s customer premise equipment is disconnected from user-B and user-C. While Rogers et al. provide a method useful for enabling a customer using a private branch exchange (PBX) or automatic call distributor (ACD) to transfer a call from one termination to another, no solution is taught for computer controlled telephony hardware where one or both connections are initiated by automated processes.
There therefore exists a need for a method of resource management at computer controlled telephony hardware outside the PSTN to permit service subscribers to manage resources in a convenient, parameter-driven way.
It is an object of the invention to provide a method of resource management at computer controlled telephony hardware to permit service subscribers to control call handling in accordance with their individual needs.
It is a further of the method in accordance with the invention to provide a method of resource management at computer controlled telephony hardware to permit service subscribers to automatically transfer calls from the computer controlled telephony hardware to the PSTN in order to reduce toll charges for toll calls.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a service subscriber with an option of determining on a call-by-call basis whether a call is to be transferred to the PSTN or bridged at the computer controlled telephony hardware in order to optimize call control.
These and other objects of the invention are realized in a method of resource management at computer controlled telephony hardware outside the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) operated by a service provider for establishing a call between a service subscriber and another party by facilitating a PSTN voice connection between the service subscriber and the computer controlled telephony hardware, and a PSTN voice connection between the other party and the computer controlled telephony hardware, comprising:
determining a resource management index associated with the service subscriber;
determining a call treatment using the resource management index; and
applying the call treatment to the call.
The method in accordance with the invention utilizes a resource management index associated with the service subscriber in order manage resources at computer controlled telephony hardware operated by a service provider. The resource management index may be a universal index which applies to all calls made by or received by the service subscriber. Alternatively, the resource management index may be associated with individual telephone numbers or Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, or some other set of identifiers associated with the subscriber to permit an ultimate flexibility in resource management.
In practicing the method in accordance with the invention, the resource management index is used to locate a rule in a rule base which stores a call treatment option. Call treatment options include, for example:
a) transfer all calls to the PSTN;
b) transfer all toll calls to the PSTN;
c) transfer no calls to the PSTN; and
d) request instructions on a call-by-call basis to determine whether a call is to be transferred to the PSTN.
After a call treatment option is determined by the computer controlled telephony hardware, the call treatment is automatically applied to the call.
If a call is to be transferred to the PSTN, a transfer request message is sent from the computer controlled telephony hardware to a PSTN service switching point (SSP) which serves the computer controlled telephony hardware. The transfer request message includes call reference information relating to the call connection between the computer controlled telephony hardware and the respective voice connections with a service subscriber and the other party. The SSP returns a reply message accepting or denying the transfer request. In the event that the transfer is accepted, the SSP sends a disconnect message for each of the voice connections. The computer controlled telephony hardware responds to the disconnect messages by releasing the respective voice connections on receipt of the disconnect messages.
Transferring the voice connections from the computer controlled telephony hardware to the PSTN reduces toll charges for toll calls and reduces trunk resources connecting the computer controlled telephony hardware with the PSTN. Up to a 50% decrease in toll charges can be realized if all toll calls are transferred to the PSTN. Dedicated trunk resource requirements can be reduced by up to 80% when the methods in accordance with the invention are extensively used.